Obesity is a condition when the accumulated body weight of a person is above a certain threshold that may give rise to negative health issues such as increased chances of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, and even cancer. This happens when the intake of food is higher than the output of energy in the form of physical activities. According to a report from the World Health Organization, the number of obese people worldwide has doubled since 1980. In 2008, adults aged 20 and above worldwide were 35% overweight and 11% obese. This number is expected to grow annually. Definitely, the best way to address problems caused by obesity is to prevent it. Nevertheless, due to modernization and change in working patterns, maintaining a balanced diet and taking regular exercise become more challenging. Adults tend to consume high-calorie food in a larger quantity while leading a sedentary lifestyle, thus increasing chances of obesity.
Currently, various options are available on the market to promote weight loss for adults. Over-the-counter slimming herbs, anti-obesity drugs, body sculpting and weight management programs promise undeliverable and non-sustainable results with various mild and adverse side effects. For individuals with more severe obesity, medical procedures such as the bariatric surgery and placement of gastric balloons are available.
Bariatric surgery involves manual alteration of the stomach size or the digestive track by means of gastric bypass or by using gastric bands. These procedures are proven to be effective in promoting weight loss, but they are invasive and may cause adverse effects such as surgical complications, metabolic bone diseases, and kidney diseases.
Introducing a gastric balloon to occupy stomach space and hence reduce gastric volume and improve satiety [1] is less invasive than bariatric surgery. The first intra-gastric balloon (IGB) that was commercialized is the Garren-Edwards Gastric Bubble (GEGB) [2] in 1985. Since then, several different IGBs have been developed and some remain currently available on the market [3][4]. Although IGBs produced initial high efficacy in some clinical reports [5], effectiveness in reducing weight in the long run is decreased as prolonged use results in gastric accommodation and loss of satiety effects. Furthermore, currently available IGBs require placement and removal via methods that give rise to patient discomfort and possible complications. Due to these limitations, IGBs remain as a second choice modality for patients who are not fit for surgery or for the super obese who may require modest weight loss prior to other intervention, and are still not widely accepted as a generic weight-loss solution despite their known efficacy in promoting weight loss.